Choices
by xwhiteheartx
Summary: Steve was alone at the office but an unexpected visit from an old friend brings him whole new dangers and in the end he will have to make a tough choice. Who will he pick?
1. Chapter 1

_DHey new story new dangers and all new dramas. _

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"Are you sure you want to do this?" he said passing over the revolver and tightening the holster onto the man's thigh, making sure it wouldn't slip. Standing up to his original height he looked the opposite man dead in the face, holding the last thing his partner needed to succeed.

"Yes, Steve McGarrett has to pay for what he did, and I know just how to make him…" his partner held the paper out for him to take, looking down and swiping the paper to the side to reveal another piece. It was photos…

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"I wonder if I slipped half of this paperwork into Danny's pile, if he would notice." Steve mused to himself as he ticked off yet another piece of his never ending pile of paper work and added it to the mess he called his desk. Sighing and throwing his pen onto his desk, he leant back in his chair chucked his hands behind his head and closed his eyes for a second, pulling the navy top away from his chest then quickly releasing it so it went all loose around his stomach. He was just dozing off when he heard the main office door open, jerking him awake mid snore. Wiping the sleepiness from his eyes and picking up his pen –to make it look like he had been doing his work- he looked at his watch, 23:30. His brow furrowed as he noted the time, the team had left hours ago unless….

"DANIEL? What have I told you about leaving your phone here? Next time you did it, I would send out the photo of you sleeping with your head in cereal from that bust 2 weeks ago when you didn't sleep for 56 hours… Danny?" Steve looked out into the dark, black space outside his office, the bull pen was completely empty, or so he had thought… A dark figure emerged from the shadows and started towards Steve's office, hearing the sound of the gun cock, Steve knew this guy was not Danny. As the shadow got closer and the moonlight reflected off of the barrel of the gun as the holder made their way closer to the entrance of Steve's office, pausing outside his door looking in, gun still raised, with something clutched under his arm.

Steve was quicker, standing up with his gun raised he looked straight into the eye of the intruder and asked "Who the hell are you? Five-0, drop your weapon?!" the intruder was wearing a ski mask and gloves so that meant if he got out of here alive, no prints and no id. It was not going to come to that. Then something happened that completely stunned Steve, the guy holstered his weapon and walked to the computer in the middle of the bull pen and leant against it putting down whatever he clutched under his arm. Shaking his head in disbelief at how amateur this guy was Steve cautiously opened his glass office door and walked out into the bullpen. The lights were at the other side of the room, so the lights weren't an option.

"Don't make me ask you again?!" Steve sneered over his gun as the man just stood there, cool as ice and not bothered at all by the gun wielding cop in front of him, instead he held up his hand motioning stop and lifted the other to his mask, he was going to take it off.

"You really going to shoot me Stevo, after everything we have been through? That is how you're going to end me, thought you had more style than that? I mean not even an explosion?" the man said as he ripped the mask from his face, revealing his identity. Steve's mouth dropped open at the man standing in front of him, but he didn't move his weapon from its target, the man's chest.

"Dylan? Dylan Samuels, why the hell are you here? You got discharged, I made sure you did!" Steve shouted waving the gun a little too ferociously but Dylan didn't even flinch. It was definitely him, his once brown hair was now playing host to tufts of grey hair here and there and his eyes had lost their volume and were now dark and unyielding, surrounded by premature wrinkles.

"Yeah, you got me discharged from the SEALs with no honours, after everything I did for my country and you waltz in and just erase my entire career from under me, remember that Stevo?!" the man shouted, standing up from his comfortable lean, dominating his space, marking his presence not that he had to remind Steve of this.

"Don't ever call me that, you lost me and the team when you tried to kill our witness!" Steve replied as calmly as he could, this man didn't deserve to be in the same country as the one he had fought for never mind here in the same room with him!

"He had been better off dead than an extra mouth to feed trekking through that jungle, he just wasted up our resources and for that I lose my entire career, all because you were a stickler for everything!" Dylan shouted back at Steve, still dead set -even after all those years- that he was right and it was Steve that had been in the wrong, even though Steve had been his commanding officer back in the SEALs.

"That man was a key witness, he and his followers had half of our team as hostages and you just wanted to kill him and leave all our men behind! If I had let you kill him we wouldn't have gotten our men back and it would have been me explaining to their families why their husband and why daddy wasn't coming home! That is NOT what we stood for! Whatever happened to leave no man behind?! So yeah, you deserved everything you got and I don't regret my part in it one bit! You didn't deserve to fight for our country!"

"Oh Stevo, you are going to wish you had agreed with me all those years ago and you are going to realise how big of a mistake you made not siding with me and getting me kicked out of the SEALs. I am here right now to make sure of that!" Dylan sneered, turning his back to Steve and opening the laptop on the desk, so Steve could see the screen which revealed two different web cams, with two different people on it…


	2. Chapter 2

**_Ok, so please don't hate me for how I have ended this chapter, the next one will be up soon I promise. Just want to say thank for all the really sweet reviews and all the favs, follows and reads. Please continue to do so because I love to hear from you all. keep Smiling :)_**

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Heart beating un-naturally fast, Steve replaced his gun in his holster and quickly ran to the open laptop, snapping it onto a wider frame, taking in the sight that now replaced his worst nightmare. The screen was split right down the middle showing two separate web cam feeds. Steve snapped his gaze to the camera feed on the left taking in who was sitting bound, gagged and bleeding –severely- Steve swore he felt his stomach knot. Catherine had a nasty gouge just above her right eye and was shaking uncontrollably with her eyes shimmering in the light, highlighting the glistening tear that escaped her grasp as it fell wearily down her cheek, she attempted to blink it away but that only made it worse.

Nothing prepared him for who was on the other camera, lying still and breathing slowly as the camera zoomed in on their face, they flinched as the camera moved closer and closer to them, it was almost certain they had a broken arm by the way they were lying and there were more cuts and gouges on their face than Steve had ever seen, and that was saying something. Blood leaking from their mouth as they squirmed helplessly against the restraints, suddenly getting pulled to their feet as the camera panned out to reveal that they was basically a mere inche from a cliff edge and a gun placed firmly on their temple as they wrestled against the ropes keeping their hands bound but remained silent apart from the occasional flicker of their eyes as they tried to avoid looking directly into the camera.

"Danny!" Steve whispered as he saw him quiver beneath a sharp kick to the groin and the sound of a groan as he worked through the pain. "DANNY! TELL THEM TO STOP… NOW!" Steve shouted turning swiftly back around to the smirking Dylan as he watched Danny get kicked a few more times, causing his to eventually cough up blood, crippling him to his knees only to be yanked back up to his feet, before having his hair pulled back, so he had to look directly into the face of the camera, directly to Steve.

"Oh but we are just starting to have fun…" Dylan mocked as he leant back against the computer table watching Steve cower over the laptop, looking from one screen to the other. Catherine was sitting restrained and duct taped somewhere while Danny was being beaten and teetering off the edge of a cliff. If he didn't get medical attention soon, Steve want sure how long he would last, the look of pain and sorrow in Danny's eyes as he tried to look away but felt he couldn't, he knew Steve could see him and it made his heart shatter, he would never ever wish this to be seen by anyone, least of all Steve, he loved him too much for that.

"Where is he!?" Steve asked calmly but when Dylan just laughed, he lost it completely. Grabbing hold of Dylan's shirt and throwing him against the glass office wall so hard the glass cracked right down the middle which only made Dylan laugh harder at the desperation Steve's voice, as he temporarily looked back at the laptop to see Catherine being stood up and Danny basically get hung from the top of the cliff with only a grasp of his top keeping him held up.

"Wouldn't you like to know Steve, they are safe just now but what happens to them is entirely up to you. You have enough time to save one of them but the one who you don't chose, well they are going to die tonight and if you don't reach the other in time, well they are going to die as well. So really you have no hope." Cackled Dylan as Steve got right into his personal space and held the grip on his top tighter until their noses were almost touching and Steve lifted his fist but was interrupted. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

"And why not!" exclaimed Steve with his fist still high and his breathing hitched as he contemplated just knocking Dylan out or putting a bullet through his brain, neither would help right now. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pimped phone he waved it in Steve's fac. "What the hell is that?!" Steve asked releasing his grip on Dylan and backed away from the wall just staring at the man in front of him that he was certain had the power to end his world right then and there.

"This phone has been modified into a triggering device. As soon as you have chosen who it is you care about most I will tell you their location and you can go get them, but the one you don't chose will be murdered instantly, all I have to do is push either or of these buttons and they're dead. Once again Steve, you get to play God! Then as soon as you have chosen, you are going to take that phone" Dylan pointed to a silver phone lying helplessly on the table behind him," and you are going to call the one you have failed to save and tell them exactly that. You failed to save them and that you chose the other one over them, they will die knowing they weren't good enough for you and you will have to survive the rest of your life seeing them as a constant reminder of what you did. What you brought on yourself. So who is it going to be your girlfriend or your partner?!"

As soon as the words had left his lips Steve had turned back around to face the laptop staring at the two people he loved most in the world and being forced to choose whether they get to live or they get to die.

Phone clutched in his hand he ran out to the truck, jumping in and forgetting the seatbelt he started the engine and was off. Looking down at the phone he went into the contacts and saw only two names, Danny and Catherine. Hovering his finger over the call button, he tapped it and the phone was soon answered and he was met by the sound of a thick voice. "It's ok Steve, I understand…"


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys, just a quick note to again say thanks for all the really nice reviews and favs. I am sorry I haven't updated in so long I just wasn't sure how to continue this story but I had a brain wave, literally this morning and I couldn't wait to write it, so tell me what you think. Keep Smiling :)_

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_Phone clutched in his hand he ran out to the truck, jumping in and forgetting the seat belt he started the engine and was off. Looking down at the phone he went into the contacts and saw only two names, Danny and Catherine. Hovering his finger over the call button, he tapped it and the phone was soon answered and he was met by the sound of a thick voice. "It's ok Steve, I understand…"_

"Now?!"

"Now…" with that he clicked the phone off and threw it down on the passenger seat as he pushed down the accelerator, flicked on the police lights and sped to the aid of the one person he truly loved.

At the receiving end of the phone, the mobile was immediately taken away from their ear and a laugh from the goon as they pointed the gun to their head.

"Any last words, before I ruin that pretty little face of yours?!" the man sneered, using the gun to swipe away a piece of loose dangling hair before cocking it and pointing it straight to the kneeling Catherine at his feet as two more guards circled them with their machine guns raised. They had already been kind enough to remove the duct tape so she could answer the call and it frankly could have been done gentler.

"Yes, next time you want to kidnap a navy officer and a detective make sure you don't have their WHOLE team out for your blood! NOW!" Catherine shouted ducking down and covering her ears as she heard shots go off and a large thump as a body came tumbling down towards her, stone dead. Looking up and removing her hands from her ears, she saw the two guards with machine guns still standing, reaching up to take their ski masks off. Chin and Kono stood in their place.

"CHIN, KONO!?" there was a mixed shout from all three of them as they stood gawking at each other. Then finally, Catherine came to her senses.

"Chin, if you and Kono are here, then who is with Danny?!" they looked from one to another, all three of them had no answers, scrambling to her feet and ripping off the duct tape with her teeth, she started to ransack the body in front of her looking for that god damned phone, pulling it out triumphantly she tucked her hair behind her ears as she dialled the last incoming call.

Ringing from the passenger side, the caller ID said Catherine, sighing but realising it could be important, whilst trying to stay in one of the lanes of the highway he picked up the phone, only just swerving to miss an oncoming truck.

"Yes Catherine?!" he breathed out as he pushed the accelerator down further as he turned off the main highway and started to climb, the cliff Danny was on, was still a good 5 minutes away.

"Steve, Chin AND Kono are here with me which means that there is no one up there with Danny, this situation is real for him, ours was controlled but whatever is happening to him up there, we have no control over what they are doing. He is alone." She finished breathing out and pacing as the two cousins looked on helplessly.

"Wait, what do you mean they are both with you? I thought we agreed that one of them would go with you and the other with Danny?!" he near whispered back into the phone as he got closer and closer to Danny. They had fashioned this entire plan up when they heard from a criminal informant that Dylan was back on the island and bragging at a local bar what his plans were and the snitch had ran straight to Five-0 with all the info.

"That doesn't matter anymore, the fact is we have no guys up there, Steve you need to get to Danny quickly, or he is going to die…" Snapping the phone shut and turning the police lights off, he was so close. Hold on Danny, I'm coming just hold on please.

The screeching noise of tyres braking as Steve's black SUV sped towards the cliff edge sending Danny into a fit of sheer panic as the truck didn't look like it was stopping. Just then it came to a skidding stop –leaving a trail of burning tyre marks in its wake- 10 feet from him. Steve jumped out with his handgun pointed directly at the two goons holding the big guns, but more precisely the one who was keeping Danny from falling off the cliff, just by holding onto his t-shirt. Danny could almost feel the ocean spray on his back as the t-shirt separating him from life and death, blew peacefully in the wind, then his eyes finally dragged themselves to Steve, he had chosen him!

"You ok Danny?! Oi, hands, hands!" Shouted Steve as he noticed one of the goons raising his gun but Steve was too fast for them, sending off a warning shot just narrowly missing his head.

"You know what I have felt better…" Danny sighed rolling his eyes as Steve moved closer to him and the goons, who were determined not to step aside and let him through.

"Yeah, you're fine." Steve almost laughed as he asked the goons to drop their weapons and kick them over to him, which they did reluctantly before crouching on their knees and interlocking their fingers behind their head as asked. All of them did this, apart from the tit that was still holding onto Danny.

"Right your turn big guy, let detective Williams go and walk towards me slowly…" Steve soothed, nearly 5 feet closer than before and gradually getting closer, but Danny knew deep down that he was not going to get out of this that easy.

The goon just looked from Steve and then to Danny before back to Steve, then a menacing smile crept onto his lips as he dropped his gun, but he was still holding Danny by his t-shirt dangling off the side of a cliff, "As you wish Commander…" With that he let go of Danny and the look of sheer terror on Danny's face as he disappeared off the side of the cliff was heart breaking and his scream echoed around the cliffs.

"NO NO NO!" Shouted Steve emptying 5 rounds straight into the chest of the goon that had dropped Danny before rushing off to the cliffs edge and dropping to his knees just as he heard a deep splash as something heavy hit the water. Looking down all Steve could see was the ripples of water at where the object had hit the water. The unfamiliar feeling of tears warming the rims of his eyes as he watched the rough waves hit against the jagged rocks again and again, the harshness of his breath as he rested his head against a dry piece of sand. The sand quickly became moist as the escaping tears fell from his face and he had no intention of trying to control them, for once in his life he was not afraid to show his weakness. "Danny…" he whispered but the sound of the crashing waves blocked the sound of his feeble attempt at expressing the severity of his loss, he would never be complete again.

Minutes passed and Steve's muscles supporting him gave out and he fell down onto his stomach at the edge of the cliff looking down at the swirling water that had killed his partner, he curled into a ball and that was when the rain had started to fall. The cool feeling of the water soaking through his clothes and tingling down his back, the rain that found its way to his face managed to mask his tears as they continued to roll down his cheeks. He made no attempt to escape and simply lay there shivering, this was nothing compared to what Danny had gone through, Steve knew he was going to spend the rest of his life punishing himself for what had happened to Danny. Especially for the fact it was his fault that Danny was dead…

Or so he believes


	4. Chapter 4

_Son of a bitch that hurts!_ Danny thought as he finally regained consciousness and his soft blue eyes fluttered open. The cool feeling of the wet mossy rock was what had awoken him from his unscheduled slumber; that and the abhorrent smell of salt from the crashing sea water. Doing his best to gain some form of a memory as to what had happened, he decided first it would be best to try and get into a more comfortable position. He was currently lying in what should be an impossible position from his 20 foot fall. He couldn't believe the dimwit had let him go and he had come crashing down, landing hard on the ledge and knocking him unconscious for who knows how long. What he did remember from the fall was that he had hit something hard on his plunge toward the sea and it tumbled down after him, but whatever it was had not been as lucky as him. He landed on the ledge just outside of a cave, but the mysterious object went crashing down into the volatile waters below.

Using his elbows to push himself up off his stomach, Danny discovered he had very little strength if any at all. He managed to push himself up enough to turn around onto his back before pushing himself up into a sitting position, while hissing curses under his breath the entire time. When he was finally comfortable and steady enough to see straight, he started to take into account where he was. He had fallen onto a ledge and it was quite a reasonably sized one. His body was starting to shake as he was soaked through. _It must have been raining while I was out_ he thought, as he dragged his limp body under the overhanging piece of ledge and out of the harsh winds that were causing his whole body to shiver. Under the shade of the rock was a patch of dry sand and it had never looked more appealing. He sat leaning with his back against the wall of the cave and looked out of its wide opening wondering what he was going to do next. The once clear and peaceful Hawaiian waters were now choppy and precarious, as the waves thrashed against the cliff face sending sea water to splash over the entrance of the cave, but not meeting the dry sand on which Danny was sitting.

After a few minutes of regaining all of his memories, Danny decided now would be best to take into account the injuries he was doing his best to ignore but was failing miserably at. He noticed his blue shirt was ripped in about 7 places as he looked at the deep gouges that decorated his torso. They were stinging because of the sea water that had entered the open wounds while he was out cold, but they should heal fine because there was minimum blood. His arm, well that was a different story. He had woken up lying on it funny, but just assumed all the feeling had gone because he had been balancing most of his weight on it. He still couldn't feel his right arm, but trying as he might, he could not move it and the fact that he was freezing did not help. His fingers were numb and he wasn't receiving much feeling in them either. "Never thought I would say this, but where the hell is Steve when you need him?" he whispered in hush tones as he rolled his shirt sleeve up to uncover some deep purple bruising littering his arm that would definitely take some time to heal. Throwing his head back against the cave wall in despair at the entirety of the situation, he closed his eyes and blocked everything out apart from the sounds that surrounded him. He was just dozing off when he heard something irregular.

The sound was not the rain, not the waves, not the wind, but a voice. His eyes darted open revealing his light blue beauties. He sat up way too fast as his head screamed out in agony, but right now he didn't care, he needed to hear it again… "Danny?"

"Steve!" Danny shouted as loud as his weak voice would let him, but he was only met by silence. His heart skipped a beat, "No, no, no I cannot be hallucinating please, please... Steve?!" He tried again and again, but now his eyes were welling up with tears as he thought of Steve. He had tried so hard to stop that man from entering his thoughts, but it looks like he didn't try hard enough because there was that voice again but it wasn't Steve. The voice was too weak and frail to be Steve's, but there it was, the same word "Danny… Danny?!" He was going to have to go for it and hope he could get all the strength he had left together at once. The voice was the only thing keeping him going, but why not Grace? Why Steve? "I love him as well…" He whispered and he wouldn't want Gracie seeing him or hearing him like this. No he wanted her to remember him as he was, not as he is now. "STEVE!" He took a chance. If Steve or anyone else really was there, he needed their help now because his muscles were aching and his breathing was slowing which was never a good sign; not in his book anyway. If it were Steve, he would probably be thinking _great, another challenge. Bring it!_ "STEVE!" he called again but knowing he would be met with the same response, silence, but then the silence was broken.

"DANNY! Danny, are you ok?!"A reply shout came. This voice was more tensed and tough than it was before, but if was definitely the same voice. It WAS Steve.

"Yeah, yeah I am alright, but if I'm being honest babe, I would rather not be here!" Danny shouted in reply leaning back against the cave wall once again as his bones and muscles screamed out in agony while he continued to try and move. This was certainly not going in his favour.

"Hang in there babe, I'm coming down. Where are you?!" Steve hadn't moved from lying at the cliff's edge since he decided to try to rescue Danny and it had all gone wrong. Back up had arrived and taken the body and the other two goons away. He asked Chin, Catherine and Kono to leave him alone and they had agreed. When he heard the first call of his name, he thought he had been hallucinating. The second time he heard it, he thought he just had wishful thinking, but the third time was undeniable and the unfamiliar feeling of tears warmed his cheeks as they streamed down his face. Steve couldn't make himself leave the sight when he thought he had lost Danny forever, but now he couldn't move fast enough.

"I'm in a cave about 15 feet or so down. Be careful! It's not a nice fall, trust me!" laughed Danny trying to make light of the situation. It seemed to work. He soon heard that laugh that warmed his heart and made him take a double breath.

"Very funny Daniel, hang tight. I will be back with the abseiling equipment in two minutes ok?!" Before jogging to his truck and grabbing the stuff, he heard the beautiful sound of Danny's sarcasm filling the air he breathed.

"I'm kind of running out of places to go Steven so, me leaving is not going to be a problem!" he retorted as he waited for his super SEAL to come to his aid. Once again he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He was not going to die here. Steve wouldn't let him.

Steve hooked the harness on tightly, clipped the rope into place and made sure the rock the rope was attached to was secure. He would worry about the rescue mission later, but right now he just wanted to get down to Danny. He needed to see him, hear him, touch him, and make sure he was alive and well...or as well as he could be giving the circumstances. "Stay back Danny, I'm starting the descent!"

"Roger that babe!" Steve rolled his eyes at Danny's lousy attempt at an acknowledgement of an order and slowly started to abseil down the side of the cliff. With the harsh winds and whirling waters below, he had never before abseiled in such terrible conditions. This was definitely a first, but there was no way he was turning back.

Sitting and shivering with what he was pretty sure was blood dripping down his face, Danny stared toward the opening of the cave waiting for Steve to appear. A few seconds later he did. The soft thump of the toughened up leather boots landing firmly on the rocky ledge, and the sound of the rope unlocking, proved that he had arrived, but it was the mixture of concern and relief that washed over Steve's face that really gave away how bad Danny must have looked.

"Danny…" Steve whispered, rushing forward to the aid of the man he loved as tears threatened to fall from his eyes once again. Bending down beside Danny, he didn't know what to do. He thought the man he loved was dead. He thought he was never, ever going to see him again. What else was he to do? Still kneeling beside him, he took Danny's soft cheeks in his hands and softly connected their lips…

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**_Hey guys, thanks for all the really kind reviews I love getting them! I hope you guys like what happened after I left you at a awful cliffhanger at the end of the last one, shout out to mirs13 for helping out again haha she is brilliant. Read and Review and Keep Smiling :)_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey Guys sorry I haven't been here ages but I have exams right now but I simply cannot walk away from our boys so here I am haha! Major shoutout to mirs13 who is such an awesome girl for helping with my stories and making sure I don't make an a*se of them! So yeah go on and read and please review and tell me what you think! Keep Smiling! :)**_

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**_He thought he was never, ever going to see him again. What else was he to do? Still kneeling beside him, he took Danny's soft cheeks in his hands and softly connected their lips…_**

He wasn't going to lie; Danny was a bit taken back when Steve held his face in his hands. Soft, warm, calloused hands he mentally noted, but the look of sheer worry that clouded Steve's naturally dark hazel eyes sent shivers running down his spine as that concerned look turned from dark with worry into dark with lust and desire. The second their lips had connected shocked them both to say the least, but neither pulled away. The kiss was soft, sweet and it lingered, but it was still over too quickly when Steve pulled back to weigh up Danny's reaction. Danny opened his beautiful blue eyes and stared back into Steve's uncertain hazel ones. That uncertainty nearly broke Danny's heart as it was completely unnecessary, so he closed the short distance between them teasing his tongue along the seam of Steve's lips, just begging for entrance and putting an end to Steve's concern. As Steve willingly opened up for him, Danny started to map out every possible inch of Steve's mouth, but the moment was ruined when Danny tried to lean in even closer while running his soft fingertips along Steve's arm. Danny let out a pain filled wince as his arm, undoubtedly broken, was jostled breaking their connection. It was at this point that Steve's brain cleared enough to finally realise he had more important things he needed to be tending to.

Pulling back and resting their foreheads together, Steve looked into those deep blue eyes. They were so old and wise beyond their years and contained so much hurt and pain for someone so young. He was hoping he was about to change all of that. "Danny, you know I will never leave you, don't you?" he whispered battling to regain his breath and keeping the dreaded sound of rejection from his voice. With that comment Danny pulled his head away and looked Steve straight in the eyes. "OOUUCCHHHHH! What the hell was that for?!" exclaimed Steve rubbing his now throbbing arm from where Danny had just punched him!

"Be thankful it wasn't your face again Steve!" Danny exclaimed waving his hand about in emphasis but avoided meeting Steve's eye. Now Danny showed his uncertainty as he whispered "I thought you knew how much I trusted you? Obviously I thought wrong. I mean seriously, do you think I would be in this mess if I didn't trust you? That's the problem. I trust you with my life and with Gracie's life. I just rely on you coming to save me if I get into something like this." He still refused to meet Steve's eye and was trying to move himself away, but as soon as he moved a few inches he sunk back in agony, as pain coursed through his body. This pain felt like the worst he had ever had the misfortune to endure and it wasn't getting any better. Hopefully this talk would be over soon so he could get to a hospital. They could have this discussion in further depth later and in a more comfortable environment.

"Danny, I don't know what to say… I'm sorry, that's not how I meant it. I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, through thick and thin, _you_ are the one I want to be with...," he paused briefly, shuffling closer to Danny, wiping a stray tear running down his cheek as he clutched his injured arm. Steve grabbed him under his chin, feeling the rough stubble rub against his fingers, forcing Danny to look at him, "...until my dying breath." Leaning back in, he pressed his lips delicately to Danny's, pouring all his hopes and dreams, love and hurt into that one kiss. He had to convince Danny somehow and this seemed like the best option, seeing as talking wasn't really his strong point.

"If that was your idea of a marriage proposal Steven, I have done better... literally" Danny breathed against Steve's lips as they once again rested against each other's foreheads, eyes closed simply taking in the fact that all of this was actually happening to them. After a few moments of silence, Steve pulled back not doing or saying anything, just staring back at Danny, whose eyes were still closed eyes, taking him all in. Taking in his features and trying to read what they all might mean. At this point all the worst case scenarios that had been rushing through his mind not half an hour ago came flooding back, plus the new fears that he has well and truly messed up their friendship after what he just declared. The soft look in Danny's eyes after he opened them again confirmed that he wasn't angry, but hopeful and genuinely asking and looking for an answer. What else could Steve do but kiss him. This was the man he loved and had loved for years. Now he was being offered up to Steve on a silver platter. Everything he had ever wanted in one beautiful, short, compact, loud-mouthed, perfect body. What could possibly be the downside right now apart from Danny being in quite a bit of pain? Pressing his lips quickly and firmly onto Danny's, he did it again and again as Danny started to fiddle with the buttons on his shirt.

"If… it was… what... would you… say?" Steve asked in between kissing Danny's lips and working his way along the man's jaw line, onto his neck and sucking on that one spot that made the blonde groan out in pleasure. Danny ran his hand up into Steve's hair and latched on as if it was a life or death decision and Steve was his only hope, which actually happened to be true more often than not these days. Danny pulled him closer to his neck as the brunette sent shock waves across his body, aggravating his injuries, but not caring in this moment because all he wanted was Steve. He _needed_ him.

Eventually Steve pulled out of the warmth of Danny's neck, sparing a glance at the nice purplish bruise now forming just under his earlobe. He had made his mark, staked his claim. Danny was his and _only_ his and no one was ever going to take him away. Not ever. He wouldn't let them. "I would say…" pausing to take a deep breath because he couldn't believe he was actually saying this, "Where is my ring super SEAL!?" Danny laughed as he watched Steve's expression of uncertainty as to what Danny's answer would be, turn into one of pure joy as what Danny had said finally sunk in.

"So is that a yes then Daniel?" asked Steve as a cheeky grin spread across his face. He wrapped his arms around Danny's waist pulling him into his lap so he could hold him close. Danny went happily, wrapping his good arm around Steve's neck and resting his head against Steve's shoulder as their breathing steadied from the earlier activities and the pain in Danny's arm subsided.

After a minute or two, Danny raised his head to look directly into Steve's eyes, "Yes Steve, I will marry you. It's not like it hasn't been something I have wanted for a long time now. You would probably water board me until I said yes anyway right? Plus, I'm glad you actually had the humanity to ask me!" Steve gave him a sheepish look, which only confirmed what Danny had said. Danny laughed, pulling Steve in for a long drugging kiss that left them both satisfied and feeling like they were on cloud nine.

Sweeping Danny up in his arms and carrying him to the edge of the cave's entrance, he attached them both to the harness, clicking them into place and whistled, "Bring us up Chin!" Steve looked at the puzzled look on Danny's face, which warmed his heart, and beginning to explain, "I called Chin when I ran back to the truck to get the equipment. I let him know you were alive and that you had fallen onto a ledge just below the cliff's edge. I assumed you were injured and that I would need help. I would have never gotten you up on my own" he admitted sheepishly, avoiding Danny's gaze as they started to be hoisted upwards. As their feet were leaving the wet ground and travelling up into the open air, Danny grabbed Steve under the chin forcing him to look at Danny. He leaned in and planted a firm yet passionate kiss on those inviting lips. Steve was a bit taken back. He thought for sure Danny would either have some comment that he was being treated like a girl or a sarcastic comment about how Steve wasn't really superman after all.

"Thank you. You saved my life. I love you Steven!" he whispered against Steve's lips before resting his head against Steve's chest. Steve had one arm tightly around Danny's waist and the other holding onto the rope. His heart was fit to burst. In the space of two hours, he had lost his partner thinking he was dead, found out he wasn't, kissed him, been kissed back, and now they were set to marry.

Resting his chin upon Danny's head as they neared the top of the cliff he whispered, "I love you too Danno. Now let's get the son of a bitch that did this too you!"

"Fine, but after I have been to the hospital and spent the night at your place." Danny replied with a mischievous glint in his eye, which went straight to Steve's lower half.

Clearing his throat, "After both of those things of course…"


End file.
